Tongs



Patented Nov.'3, 1942 a n in I, g 2, 9 j n z, ITONGS a a n 7 ",o flsnaquist, Minneapolis", Minn. Application March 2,1942, Serial No. 432,926 i S'Claimsj' (o1. 294 ---8. 5) invention relates Y to" improvements in shown "as roundedin the interestsof neatness. ton-gs. i Theopen facejof the housing isfic'losed, when finished, by a coveror cover plate I6 shaped to The primary objector the inven-tion is to provide light-and conveniently usable tongs, ora pair fit and with narrow flanged e'dgesfl adaptedto of tongsyparticularly useful inlaundering opera- '5 telescopically engage the flanges I 4 i'a'nd l5. tions "for grasping and removing the clothes from Fasteningmembers in the "form of shouldered hot water withoutdanger of burning the hands. rivets for pine F8 having diametrically reduced The tongs are not, however, limited to such work, end stubs 1'9" serveto fasten the cover in place, being useful wherever an object or'article need one ofsuch-pins being "located adjacent each of be grasped and manipulated withoutfcoming into 10 the open and closed*endsof thehousing alongthe contactwiththe hands. longitudinal center line of' the'housing andwith Another objectisto *providetongs of'the nature the stubs 19 extending through suitable openings in an exceedingly simple, durableand inexpensive in the housing and cover and riveted down as. form. l v designatedat iii The depth or thickness of'the These and other inore "detailed and specific obhousing is such' as to'justnicely receive the handle jects will be disclosed in' the course of the followen ds' "ID of the legswhi'lethe'widthor space being specification, reierence being had to the actween the sides "I4 isslightly; greater than the companying drawing, in which combined width of the two legs as arranged'side Fig. '1 is a side elevational view of my tongs by sidein saidhousing. I 7 showing thelegs or arms thereof as in closed or 20 f'I he adjacent inner sides or side Times or: the working positions in full lines and in open posihandleends "I9 of the legs band '6 arepro'vided tions in dot-dash lines. with notches "or grooves 21 so positioned as to Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational View of the engag'e opposit'eperipheral side portions ofthe handle end of the tongs with a cover element pin l8 next to the open end H of the housing, thereof removed to show interior construction, the grooves serving as clearly shown toprevent V the legs or arms being illustrated as in their the legs from pulling lengthwise out of the housopened positions. ing and acting as ful-crums permitting relative Fig. 3 is a cross section along the line 3-3 oscillating or rocking movements of the legs about in Fig.2. the axis .of the pin. A bow spring, or curved Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing spring leaf, 22 is placed near the closed end portions of the cover element and showing the of the housing and has its spaced, normally conlegs or arms as in their closed or work engaging vergent ends 23 spread apart and braced against positions. outer sides or side surfaces of the legs. These In carrying out my invention as shown in the spring ends 23 are braced between the sides l4 drawing I provide a pair of leg or arm members and the legs adjacent the extremities of the designated generally at 5 and 6 and a handle or handle ends l0 thereof and the spring pressure cap member 1, said leg or arm members being is thus such as to urge these ends together (Fig. hereinafter referred to as legs. The handle mem- 2), rocking the legs about the pin l8 with which ber 1 is formed and constituted by. .a narrow, the grooves 2| engage and spreading the work enflat' cap-like housing which receives and connects gaging ends 8 apart as clearly shown. 7 the legs as will presently appear and which in use Ihedepth of the grooves .21 is such (less than may serve as a handle for manipulating the tongs. half the diameter of the pin l8) that the adflhe legs 5 and 6 are of elongated form made jacent inner sides of the legs are spaced apart preferably, although not necessarily, of wood and r some distance as designated at 24 thus affording of rectangular or rectilinear cross section as best clearance for rocking movements about the pin. seen in Fig. 3. At their free or work engaging ends The outer sides of the handle ends ll] of the legs 8 the legs 5 and 6 normally stand apart as shown, are beveled off 1 or tapered as designated at 25 by means to be described, and at their opposite also to give clearance for movements and to proor handle ends l0 they fit together side by side vide space for the spring ends 23. into the open end I I of the housing forming the In use the tongs may be held with the handle handle member I. member 1 in the palm of the hand and with ISaid handle member includes a housing l3 the thumb and fingers extended to grasp the having spaced, substantially parallel sides or si-de legs 5 and 6 adjacent said handle, or the tongs flanges l4 and an end flang l'5 opposite the u may be grasped below the handle member upon open end H, the said endfiange 15 being here the converging ends of the legs. In either event the legs may be squeezed together by the hand bringing their ends 8 into working and grasping engagement with an article or object therebetween and by maintaining the grip said article may be manipulated at will without contact with the hand. When the squeezing pressure of the hand upon the legs and 6 is released the sprin 22 will immediately spread the ends '8 apart ready for the next operation. The ease and convenience of such operation and the utility of the tongs for handling such articles as clothing and removing them from hot water, will be apparent.

As the legs 5 and 6 are closed upon the work their handle ends H] are of course spread apart flexing the ends 23 of the spring 22 as seen in Fig. 4 and the tapered or pointed shape of the legs within the housing l3 provides sufficient space for such operation.

The fastening member or pin l8 nearest the open end of the housing serves three functions. Not only does it act as a rivetfor holding the cover IB- in place, but it also serves as a pivot for the legs 5 and 6 and in addition, through cooperation with the notches or grooves 2i, prevents endwise displacement of the legs relative to each other and to the handle member.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1."'Tongs of the character described, comprising a pair of legs arranged side by side and'normally converging toward one end, a handle mem ber enclosing the extremities of the converging ends of the legs, the said handle member including a housing having more than one part and having an'0pen end to receive the legs, a pin arranged in the housing to secure the parts thereof together and disposed adjacent the open end of the housing between the legs, the said legs having grooves in their adjacent surfaces adapted to engage opposite sides of the pin, and said grooves cooperating with the pin to form fulcrums about which the legs may rock to draw their diverging ends together and also to prevent endwise displacement of the legs from the housing.

2. Tongs of the character described, comprising a pair of legs arranged side by side and converging toward one end, a housing member having an open end to receive the converging ends of the legs, a pin arranged in the housing near its open end and between the legs, the ad jacent inner sides of the legs having grooves adapted to engage opposite peripheral side portions of the p n whereby said legs may oscillate thereabout to bring their diverging ends together, and said grooves being of such size as to engage substantially less than one half of the opposite peripheral side portions of the pins to thereby space the inner sides of the legs apart at the pin and provide clearance for such oscillating movements.

3. A pair of tongs comprising two legs arranged to normally converge toward one end and diverge toward their other ends, a housing member having an open end to receive the converging ends of the legs and having sides to engage the legs, Where they enter said open end, pivot means in the housing engaging the legs and Permitting relative oscillating movements thereof to spread their converging ends and draw their diverging ends together, spring means braced between adjacent sides of the housing member and outer side surfaces of the legs to yieldably resist spreading movements of the converging ends of the legs, and the said outer side surfaces of the legs within the housing member being tapered toward their extremities to provide spaces for said spring means between these surfaces and the adjacent sides of the housing member.

CARL s. HEDQUIST. 

